U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today joined The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the largest technology council in the nation, in launching a new program designed to connect veterans to employment opportunities in Virginia's technology community. This morning’s announcement marked Sen. Warner’s first stop in a weeklong series of more than 25 events. His travel this week will encompass more than 1,130 miles, from Northern Virginia to Richmond, then east to the Peninsula and Hampton Roads, and then over to Roanoke and down into the Bristol region.

During today’s event in Fairfax, NVTC leaders highlighted the many aspects of the Initiative designed to match veterans with jobs, internships, mentorships and certifications, while also providing support to member companies in their efforts to hire, train and retain qualified veteran employees.

“This effort is unique because it’s being driven by the business community in conjunction with the region’s academic institutions as well as state and local policymakers,” Sen. Warner said. “I urge I-T business leaders in the region to get involved with this program by actively looking for opportunities to hire qualified veterans. Hiring veterans is not just good for Virginia: it’s also good for business.

Through the NVTC online veterans’ community, Monster and Military.com provide tools designed to assist service members’ transition into the civilian workforce. Veterans can use the military skills translator to match their skills to civilian jobs, access a searchable database of jobs at NVTC member companies and tap into educational resources to help them develop skills to thrive in a private sector career. NVTC members get free access to a resume database of over 800,000 veterans, state of the art search tools to find the right potential employee, and other tools to post and manage job openings. 

“Many NVTC member companies believe overall workforce development is one of the greatest long-term challenges facing our technology community,” said NVTC President and CEO Bobbie Kilberg. “The NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative is about bringing together the technology business community with our region’s academic institutions and policymakers to create an ecosystem where veterans’ valuable skills and talents are matched to private sector needs.”

In the coming months, NVTC will host a variety of events and programs to assist member companies in establishing or expanding internal veteran programs, including an event in partnership the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Initiative. In addition, the Council will facilitate events to help veterans learn best practices for their job search, connect to employers in the business community, and network with fellow veterans.